


Share Your Horizon

by liamthebastard



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-12
Updated: 2014-04-29
Packaged: 2018-01-12 01:17:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1180190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liamthebastard/pseuds/liamthebastard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur meets Merlin when he accidentally climbs into Merlin's car at the airport instead of Leon's. He never could have anticipated all the troubles and joys that comes out of the chance meeting.</p><p>On hiatus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [white_chevy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/white_chevy/gifts).



> This started off as a chapter from my [AU challenge](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1122268/chapters/2399766), but at the request of [white_chevy](http://archiveofourown.org/users/white_chevy/pseuds/white_chevy), I've decided to continue it into a longer fic. I've got a vague idea of where it's going, but if there's something specific you'd like to see, let me know and I'll see what I can do!

It had been a long flight back to London from the States, but all Arthur really wanted was to get into Leon’s car and let his friend drive him home. Business trips always took it out of him, and this one in particular had dragged on and on. Everybody wanted to be part of the decision making process, but nobody wanted to make any concessions whatsoever and they all turned to Arthur for advice and– Arthur cut off the train of thought. He was home now, that was what mattered. Just as soon as he spotted Leon’s car he could climb in and fall asleep in the passenger seat until they got back to the flat they shared.

Finally, he spotted Leon’s Volkswagen bug – no judgment, he’d had it since uni – and without even glancing towards the front of the cab he leapt in, suitcase in his lap. “Leon, you would not believe the week I’ve had, I’m about this close to ceding full control to Morgana and–” He turned as he spoke. “And you’re not Leon.”

The dark-haired man behind the wheel smiled. “’Fraid not, mate. But it’s cold out, you’re welcome to sit in here until your Leon arrives,” he offered.

“Oh, no, he’s not my Leon he’s just- I mean, he’s my friend but not- he’s actually dating my si- um,” Arthur bit down on his lip before he could embarrass himself more, but it was too late. The man tilted his head back and laughed loudly, bringing color to his ridiculously high cheekbones and making his ears stick out even more in comparison. “What I meant to say was, my name’s Arthur. Yours?” Arthur finally managed, ignoring the heat in his cheeks.

“Merlin,” the man replied easily. “So where’d you get in from?” he asked, gesturing to Arthur’s suitcase, now slipped between his legs in the foot well.

“I was Stateside to do some rehaul for my company’s US offices. Pretty boring stuff, but it took forever. What about you, who are you picking up?” Arthur asked.

Merlin smiled. “My best friend Will was supposed to get in today from a month in Istanbul, but he called about two seconds before you climbed in to tell me he’s staying another few weeks. I was about to leave when you turned up,” he laughed, and his eyes lit up with a sparkle that completely caught Arthur for a breathless moment before his words registered.

“Oh, God, I’m sorry, I’ve gotten into your car and taken up your time, I should just-”

“Stay,” Merlin interrupted. “Or better yet, fasten your seatbelt and I’ll take you to dinner. My treat.”

Arthur sat back for a moment, shocked. Normally, even with the few men he’d dated, he’d been the one pursuing, the one cajoling and persuading others to share their time, their space, their lives. But here was a man he’d known all of five minutes at the most, inviting him to dinner and looking him in the eye without fear of rejection.

“I- I’d like that,” Arthur agreed, sending off a quick text to Leon to let him know not to come.

Merlin beamed at his acceptance, and a little part of Arthur melted more and more with each subsequent smile and laugh.

Dinner that night continued to deserts to after-dinner drinks all the way back to Merlin’s flat for coffee, but when Arthur moved to take things towards the bedroom, Merlin put a firm hand on Arthur’s chest.

“I don’t put out on the first date, Arthur. Go home, sleep of the jetlag, and then, call me,” Merlin said, using his other hand to scribble a number down on a napkin and slid it into Arthur’s front pocket. He leaned over and pressed a warm, soft kiss over Arthur’s lips, and then pushed him playfully towards the door. “Now get going, I fully expect a call by tomorrow night.”

Arthur grinned and left the flat with his suitcase in hand and Merlin’s number in his pocket. He flagged down a cab and was in his flat in less than an hour. Leon was sprawled on the couch, bowl of crisps in his lap and Top Gear running on the television. “I hope whoever she was was worth it, I was halfway to the airport when you texted,” Leon joked. They both knew he hadn’t even left the flat yet when Arthur texted, or else he wouldn’t have seen the message. Leon never checked his phone while behind the wheel.

Still, Arthur ran a finger over the napkin in his pocket. “Don’t worry,” he said. “He was.”


	2. Chapter 2

After greeting Leon, Arthur went straight to his bedroom and collapsed on the bed, still dressed but too tired to do anything more than kick off his shoes. The moment the shoes were off, he sank into the comatose type of sleep that can only be accomplished by those who had just completed a Trans-Atlantic flight. 

He woke up a few times through his sleep to do basic things like go to bathroom or get a drink of water, but never really woke up. It wasn’t until about ten o’clock the next night that he actually gained the ability to function beyond turning a tap or working a zipper. When he finally stumbled out from his bedroom, Leon was sitting on the couch with an arm around Morgana, watching some movie on the television. 

“There you are, Arthur! You’re lucky you came in on a Friday, otherwise you’d have just wasted a perfectly fine day of work sleeping,” Morgana said, rising from her seat to hug her brother. “Now, what did you bring me?” 

“How do you know I brought you _anything_?” Arthur asked, moving towards the kitchen in search of food. 

“There’s Chinese in the fridge, Arthur, I left some sesame chicken for you,” Leon said. Arthur tossed a smile over his shoulder while Morgana followed him to the kitchen and hovered while he warmed his food up. He stuck his food in the microwave and set the timer, then waved her back towards his bedroom. 

“Go get my bag, your souvenir’s in there,” he said. Morgana grinned and dashed towards the bedroom, returning a few moments later with the bag in hand. Arthur fumbled through it and pulled out the little box. “Here, go show off to Leon.” He tossed her the box. 

Morgana caught it and popped the lid open with a smile, grinning even wider when she saw the gold necklace inside. “Arthur!” she exclaimed, giving him a one-armed hug. “Leon!” she shouted, running into the living room. “Look at what Arthur got me! It looks just like Manhattan!” 

Arthur chuckled to himself as the timer on his food pinged, and smiled while Morgana chattered happily to Leon in the other room. While waiting for his food to cool, he slid a hand into his back pocket and startled when he felt the napkin there. He abruptly remembered his promise to call Merlin that evening. 

Suddenly he was nervous. What if Merlin had been joking? What if he actually turned out to be crazy? What if Arthur somehow fucked this up? What if-

“I can hear you worrying, Arthur, just call him!” Morgana called from the living room, breaking into Arthur’s private freak out. 

“How do you know what I’m doing?” Arthur demanded. 

“That’d be my fault, mate, she asked how you’d gotten home,” Leon answered. Arthur just rolled his eyes. Morgana had that man wrapped around her finger and he didn’t even know it. He went back to ignoring the happy couple and opted to stay in the kitchen and finish his food before giving any more thought to dark haired strangers. 

Of course that didn’t work at all and five minutes later his food was still sitting on the plate and his phone was in his hand, Merlin’s number dialed. All that was left was to hit the call button. His thumb hovered over the key for a moment before he finally mustered up the courage to hit call. 

_Ring_.

_You’ve got this Pendragon._

_Ring_.

_Don’t freak out._

_Ring_.

 _Oh god what if he doesn’t answer_.

 _Ring_.

 _What if he_ does _answer?_

 _Ring_.

 _Then what do I sa-_.

“Hello?” Merlin’s voice, slightly groggy, snapped Arthur back to reality. 

“Sorry, were you sleeping?” Arthur said. 

“Nah, well, kind of, but not really,” Merlin replied, giving a small yawn that sounded a lot cuter than it had any right to be. “Don’t worry about it.”

Arthur nodded even though Merlin couldn’t see. “Okay. Um, this is Arthur, from the airport, I was wondering- well, if you’d like to, you know…” Arthur trailed off, hating how awkward he sounded. 

“Wondering if I’d like to…?” Merlin repeated back at him, raising the end to prompt Arthur on. 

“Wonderingifyou’dliketogooutagainsometime,” Arthur said in a rush.   
Merlin laughed, and god, Arthur could listen to that sound for ages. “I’d love to. Does tomorrow afternoon sound good to you? I’d say evening, but I have work early Monday, and I’d hate to have to cut things short to have an early night.”

“Afternoon works great. I’ll pick you up about four?” Arthur suggested. 

“Sounds brilliant. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go back to sleep. See you tomorrow?” Another yawn. Arthur grinned.

“See you tomorrow,” he confirmed, and hung up the phone. 

A few minutes later, mouth full of sesame chicken, he reached for the phone again, this time to send a text. 

_Sweet dreams, Merlin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aww awkward Arthur is really fun to write. Also, don't get used to two chapters in one day. Ask those reading my other fics, I'm shit at updating.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to [Sarah for being a little punk and having me write this chapter while in class. :-P](http://archiveofourown.org/users/AvatarMascott)

Merlin woke up the next day and grinned like an idiot when he saw the text Arthur had sent. He’d missed it the night before, having dropped back to sleep the moment he’d hung up. Now, it made for a fantastic morning. Merlin rolled out of bed and started the shower down the hall with a flick of his wrist while he gathered his clothes up in the other arm. 

“Thank god for Sundays,” Merlin muttered. Sundays were the only day of the week Merlin really got to rest. Saturdays were always filled with chores and frantic scrambling to get prepared for the next week. Sundays Merlin was always careful to keep clear, so he could start the next week off with a clear head. He liked to schedule things around it so he could get to bed on time, especially before big events. Normally he wouldn’t even allow a date to be scheduled that night but for Arthur… well, he’d made an exception. 

By the time he reached the shower the water was perfectly warm, one of the main reasons he used his magic to start it up. It seemed he was never warm these days; his circulation system was shit and his fingers and toes especially suffered. Only when he stepped into a preheated shower was he comfortable, which was why he allowed himself the indulgence of using his magic to turn it on. Gaius got very grumpy with him when he used his magic like that, without a spell, but Merlin maintained his magic worked better that way. 

As the warm water washed over him and Merlin started the automatic process of shampoo and scrub, he let his mind wander to Arthur. The man was interesting. He had such a commanding presence, and once they’d started talking had shown a stubborn and confident side, but initially in both their conversations he’d been shy and stumbling over his own words. It was intriguing. He’d said he worked for a large company, but hadn’t shared what it was they did just yet. Merlin was willing to bet it was a higher-up position though; it wasn’t just _anyone_ who spent a week in the States on behalf of an entire corporation. 

Then again, if they were just picking anyone, Arthur was a brilliant choice. He was gorgeous, no doubt, all golden hair and clear blue eyes, but beyond that he seemed to radiate trustworthiness. Everything he did seemed straightforward and honest, and Merlin doubted there was a man, woman, or child on the planet who could deny him anything if he truly wanted it. 

Merlin smiled, rinsing the last of the shampoo suds out of his hair and turning the water off. With a muttered spell he dried his hair, letting it settle in a wild halo as it usually did, and wrapped a towel around his waist as he stepped from the shower. It was too early to put on his date attire, so he slid into the comfortable sweats and tee shirt he’d brought in with him, fully intending to spend the day relaxing on the couch before getting ready for his date. 

Unfortunately, no sooner had he sat down on the couch with a glass of water and the remote than the phone rang.  
 _Arthur_ showed on the screen, accompanied by a grey-faced default icon. Merlin made a mental note to take an actual photo later that night. He flipped it open with a smile already blooming on his face. 

“Hey, Arthur, what’s up?” he asked, idly running the index finger of his free hand over his glass’s rim. 

“Hey, Merlin, is there any chance at all we can shift our date up? Morgana just called, she scheduled a meeting with a client at five, and I really don’t want to have to cut things off with you to run to work,” Arthur said, sounding a little bit frazzled, like he was currently working. 

“Of course! I’m not doing much today, I don’t mind moving the time. What’s good for you?” Merlin asked, keeping his voice steady while his eyes flashed gold to straighten up the flat and pull his date clothes from the closet. 

Arthur made a humming noise that indicated he was thinking, and Merlin took the chance to pull his mouth away from the receiver to mutter, “ _Bestepe scós, gestælle scós_ ,” at his shoes to lay them beside the outfit where it was now settled on the arm of the couch. 

“Half an hour from now work for you? Sorry for the late notice, she just dropped it on me,” Arthur apologized. 

Merlin glanced at the clock. . Already it was after noon, he’d slept later than he’d intended! Thank God Arthur had called, or he might not have even looked at the time until it was too late. “Half an hour sounds perfect. Still have my address?” Merlin asked. 

“Of course,” Arthur scoffed in reply. “I’ll be there in thirty.”

“See you then,” Merlin said. “Oh, and thanks for the text last night. It was really sweet.” He hung up the phone before Arthur could finish spluttering out an awkward reply. Better to save the embarrassment for later on. 

Once the phone was down, Merlin rushed to tug on the trousers, a dark cotton fabric that Freya insisted made his arse look incredible. From there, he pulled on a black tee shirt he knew from Will clung to him just this side of lewd, and tossed a light blue button down over it. He spent a solid fifteen minutes getting his hair just right, settling it to the perfect balance of tousled and neat, and by then, Arthur was due any minute. Merlin settled down onto the couch to drink some water and calm down a bit so he wouldn’t look too nervous when Arthur arrived. 

The glass was half empty when Arthur knocked on the door. Merlin shot a look at his phone’s clock and smirked. Perfectly on time. He opened the door and leaned on the jamb. “Well hello,” Merlin said, smiling as Arthur shifted from foot to foot. 

“Hello,” Arthur said, clearly uncertain how to greet Merlin. The warlock took pity on him, leaning forward and pressing a brief kiss to his cheek. Arthur instantly relaxed. “I don’t know if you’ve eaten yet…” He paused to let Merlin interrupt if he had, but Merlin nodded to get him to keep going. “But I know a bistro a few blocks from here that’s fantastic. We could do lunch, and then maybe head to the library?”

Food _and_ books? Arthur was officially perfect. “Sounds wonderful,” Merlin said, stepping out of the flat and closing the door behind him. He looped his arm through Arthur’s and started down the stairs. “Let’s go.”


	4. Chapter 4

Arthur might have to kill Morgana, but he was grateful to get to see Merlin sooner than he’d expected. And Merlin… God, Merlin looked _fantastic_. It really wasn’t fair. Arthur had just pulled on a polo and whatever jeans were closest, and Merlin came out of his flat looking like a bloody _model_. 

Still, he’d seemed really pleased with Arthur’s date idea, which had come to him after remembering the towers of books and crammed bookcases in Merlin’s flat. And lunch was a given, seeing as he hadn’t eaten yet that day and during the client dinner he’d have to keep his appetite under control in favor of focusing on work. 

While Arthur drove, one hand on the wheel, Merlin reached over casually and captured Arthur’s left hand in his right, lacing their fingers like he’d done it a thousand times. Arthur let him do it, even gave his hand a small squeeze at a stop. They arrived at the bistro a few minutes later, and Merlin insisted on sitting right in front of the plate glass window. Arthur didn’t have a preference, even though he tended to avoid tables without a wall by them just for comfort, but it was worth letting Merlin have his way to see the brilliant white smile come out to play. 

They sat down, hands still linked but now resting on the tabletop rather than the leather interior of Arthur’s car, and chatted over what was good on the menu until a waitress came and took their orders. Merlin opted for basic fish and chips while Arthur went for a burger, and the waitress took their menus with a small smile and darted a glance towards their hands. Arthur blushed furiously but Merlin seemed to puff with pride, a smile spreading easily across his face. A few moments later, two glasses of water appeared but went unnoticed as Merlin and Arthur started to talk. 

“So what is it exactly you do?” Merlin asked, rubbing his thumb over the back of Arthur’s hand. 

Arthur cleared his throat. “My sister and I run a private security firm our father left us,” he explained. “She does a lot of the PR, and I work with the clients. Her boyfriend, Leon, takes care of hiring and training, and it just dilutes down from there. Probably not as interesting as what you do.”

Merlin smiled. “That’s pretty cool! I just work as a personal assistant; it’s really not that interesting. I get to meet a lot of cool people though, so that’s a pro,” Merlin said. “I’m starting with a new firm on Monday, but I’m not sure who, I go through an agency.” 

“Okay I think you probably win. I spend most of my day doing paperwork and schmoozing, you actually get things done. Lord knows my life would be better with a PA, Morgana’s been on me to get one for ages,” Arthur laughed, remembering the last argument they’d had over. “I told her it was like having a manservant, and I didn’t need someone to treat me like a prince the way her PA treats her.” 

“And how did she take that?” Merlin chuckled. 

“Oh, claimed that if anything, she was a queen, and then wondered why I wasn’t bowing. So, the usual,” Arthur said, giving a small smile to show his humor as their food arrived. Merlin glanced down at their hands, and regretfully released Arthur’s in order to shake a napkin out over his lap before tucking in to his chips. Arthur smiled as Merlin added far too much vinegar to possibly be good, and forgot to even eat until Merlin glanced at his plate with a raised eyebrow. 

Arthur flushed and immediately started to eat, pausing now and then to respond to a question or to ask something of Merlin. Lunch was finished quickly, and Arthur insisted on paying the bill this time. “Ready to go?” he said, bill paid and things gathered. 

“Ready,” Merlin said, standing up and taking Arthur’s hand again. They walked out to the car, and drove down to the library. Merlin was bouncing in his seat as they parked, and half-dragged Arthur through the doors and towards the atlases. He sat down on the ground and immediately reached to the nearest shelf and pulled out a large, hardback world atlas. “Pick a number,” he said. 

“Umm twenty?” Arthur said, not sure where Merlin was going with this. 

Merlin started turning pages, flipping through the book until he reached page twenty. “Oohh, Wales. Nice pick,” he said, shifting from cross-legged to sprawl out on his stomach. Arthur finally sat down, mimicking Merlin’s relaxed posture on the floor. “I’m actually from there, you know. Little bitty place called Ealdor. I don’t think it’s even on here…” Merlin squinted at the page and smiled. “Nope, didn’t think so, but look, it’d be about here,” and he pointed a few kilometers outside of Cardiff. 

“Wow, so when did you come London?” Arthur asked, studying Merlin’s face while the dark haired man ran his fingers over the maps. 

“A couple years ago, Will and I both came here for uni, and well, I stuck with it and graduated,” Merlin answered. “I always thought I was going to head back to Ealdor, or maybe Cardiff, but during uni I fell in love with London, and I couldn’t bear to leave it.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” Arthur said without thinking, and immediately flushed bright red when he realized what he’d said. Merlin glanced up and looked Arthur in the eye and grinned. 

“So am I,” Merlin replied. He leaned across the book and pressed a soft kiss to Arthur’s lips, but before Arthur could deepen it any, he pulled back. “Pick another number.”

Arthur chuckled, and continued the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Debating wether or not I should do any smut in this fic... feedback?


	5. Chapter 5

Monday morning came, and Merlin woke up early that morning to make sure he’d have time to stop for doughnuts for everyone. First day of a new job, had to make a good impression. His agency had sent him the address, and the name of the secretary that would get him set up. Gwen Thomson, worked at Albion, some company that Merlin hadn’t even had the time to Google with the way he’d spent his whole weekend waiting for and subsequently hanging out with Arthur. After their date, Merlin had gone home and spent the evening decompressing, refusing to even think work-related thoughts. From the way Freya had talked about this new job, it was going to be a high-stress job. But, it claimed to be long-term, so Merlin wasn’t going to argue. 

He walked down the block and grabbed two-dozen doughnuts before he hailed a cab and gave out the address. The cab ride wasn’t too long, since his flat wasn’t far from what Freya called the Stuffed Shirt District, where most of the office buildings were located. He paid the cabbie and walked into the lobby with briefcase in one hand and two boxes of doughnuts balanced in the other. The lobby was all marble and chrome, polished old money mixed with just enough modern technology to make people feel out of sorts. 

Merlin approached the main desk awkwardly. “Hi, I’m um, looking for Gwen Thomson? I’m from the agency–”

“Fourth floor, third room on the right,” the man said without looking up, still typing on his computer. Merlin nodded his thanks, which went unnoticed, and walked over to the lifts. He tried to hit the fourth floor button with his elbow, but ultimately failed. A moment later, a young woman joined him in the elevator. 

“Need a hand?” she offered with a kind smile. 

Merlin nodded despondently. “Fourth floor, please,” he said. She smiled and pressed it. 

“Same for me! Is this your first day?” she asked. “Of course it is, you brought doughnuts. Well, I’m Guinevere, but everybody just calls me Gwen, and I’m the PA for Ms. Le Fay, one of the VPs.”

“Really? I’m supposed to find you, to get my work assignment! Um, here let’s get off so I can set these down and meet you properly,” Merlin insisted, holding the lift door for Gwen as she stepped out and walking with her to the office she indicated, not bothering to count the doors as the main desk man had instructed. 

“Just set them down here, I’ll put them in the break room when I get Ms. Le Fay’s coffee,” Gwen said. “So, here’s your paperwork, but you don’t want to mess with that until lunch. You’re going to be working for Mr. Pendragon, Ms. Le Fay’s half-brother. They run the company together, so you and I will be seeing a lot of each other.” Here Gwen paused to grin. “Mr. Pendragon’s office is right next door, and the main office space is the first two doors in the hall. At the very end is the break room, and I usually take my lunch at about one, so you should do it then too, since today the VPs have a meeting over that time, which means we get some free time.” 

Merlin nodded, leafing through the paperwork and making mental notes. “Okay, I’ll head right over there,” he said. “And… thanks, Gwen, this is more than I hoped for.” He smiled at her as he left the office, and then stepped down the hall one door and stepped in. It was identical to Ms. Le Fay’s office; there was a small waiting room of sorts where the PA’s desk was situated, and behind that a doorway which presumably led to the VP’s office. He set his suitcase down on the desk and draped his suit jacket over the back of the chair before he walked up to the door and knocked. 

“Mr. Pendragon? May I come in?” he said. 

“Yes, come on in,” a distracted voice said, muffled heavily by the thick door between them. Merlin swung open the door and stepped in, already talking. 

“Hi, I’m your new PA, Merlin Emry- _Arthur_?” Merlin stopped short in the doorway. Sitting behind the desk in the Vice President’s office was Arthur. Who, come to think of it, Merlin didn’t have a last name for. Although, judging by current circumstances, it was probably Pendragon. 

“Merlin? What the hell are you doing here? I wasn’t expecting you,” Arthur said, picking his head up from where it was bent over paperwork on his desk. 

Merlin raised an eyebrow. “I’m a PA. And apparently have been hired by your company for you. Am I right in assuming I just met your sister’s PA next door?” he asked. Honestly, what were the odds that he’d wind up working with the guy he’d just gone out with?

“Gwen? Yeah, she’s great,” Arthur said. “Just– give me a minute, yeah?” Merlin nodded and stepped out, taking a seat at his desk. The door was still open though, and Merlin could hear him talking. “ _Morgana, I owe you big time, I take back everything I ever said about you being a terrible sister. You’re my favorite sister ever, and next time I say no to going shopping with you, I’m still going to say no, but this time I’ll make Leon go instead._ ” He hung up. “Merlin, you can come on in again.”

“Am I supposed to pretend I didn’t hear any of that, because you _really_ need to work on your whispering skills,” Merlin joked. Arthur stood up and approached him with a grin. He slid a hand around Merlin’s waist. 

“You know after this, I’m going to have to treat you like everybody else,” Arthur said, bending his head down a pressing a kiss to Merlin’s neck. “But I haven’t seen you in a suit and I _really_ wasn’t prepared for that this morning.” He kissed the underside of Merlin’s jaw. “A _bowtie_ , Merlin? God.”

“I have zero regrets,” Merlin replied, slipping a hand to the back of Arthur’s neck and brought their mouths together. Arthur tasted like his morning coffee, something Merlin hadn’t had a chance to get yet, but he didn’t mind. Things were just starting to get intense when the door banged open. 

“Quit harassing your poor PA and answer your damn phone, Arthur,” the woman said, ignoring the squeak Merlin let out as he jumped away from Arthur’s embrace. “Look, Mercia is trying to poach one of our clients, I need you to call up these numbers immediately and – oh wait, he’s _cute_!” She exclaimed, finally catching sight of Merlin. “I told you getting a PA was a good idea, aren’t you glad I got you one?” 

Arthur groaned. “Morgana, out, I’ll do work in a minute.” The dark haired woman left, leaving a stack of paper behind on Arthur’s desk. “So, that was Morgana. My psychotic sister, and your psychotic boss.” 

“I thought _you_ were my psychotic boss,” Merlin replied, grinning wryly. 

“Nah,” Arthur said, “I’m your psychotic boyfriend.”

Merlin left the office grinning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> office!AU haha bet you didn't see that coming  
> okay you probably did  
> also I tried so hard to find a real name for Gwen, but all I could find was her dad's name (Tom), so Thomson it was.  
> Also if you needed colin in a bowtie, which you so totally do by the way [here it is](http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyfbhoBker1qb8mbmo1_500.png)


	6. Chapter 6

The morning went by fairly quickly, and Merlin sent Arthur off to his lunchtime meeting without a hitch and went down to the break room to meet Gwen. 

“How’s your first day going?” Gwen asked. 

Merlin chuckled. “Um, interestingly,” Merlin said. He glanced around the break room, making sure nobody else was in there. “Did Mor- Ms. Le Fay say anything?” he asked, figuring he’d take his cues from her. For all Merlin knew, the company had some bizarre anti-dating policy for its employees. 

“You mean about how you and her brother are together? I must say, usually sleeping your way up the corporate ladder usually involves working at the company _before_ you sleep with them,” Gwen laughed. 

“To be fair,” Merlin pointed out, “We haven’t slept together. He just got into my car at an airport.” He flew a hand up to his mouth, realizing that might be a bit too much information for an hours-old acquaintance. 

Thankfully Gwen only smiled at him, and took a bite out of her sandwich. “Did he really? You don’t by any chance drive a Volkswagen, do you?” 

Merlin nodded. “Does he do this often?” he asked, more amused than anything else. 

“Not with cars, but Arthur doesn’t precisely think beyond the instant. He assumes the easiest solution is the correct one,” Gwen pointed out. Merlin had to agree. 

They chatted quietly over their lunches; Gwen told him all about her brother, Elyan, and her boyfriend Lance, both of whom were really good friends of Arthur’s, and Lance even worked a few floors down. “Yeah, he’s pretty fantastic. Volunteers at animal shelters on the weekend, that sort of thing. We actually met here,” she said. 

“So there isn’t any kind of dating policy here?” Merlin asked. 

“You haven’t even glanced at the paperwork have you,” Gwen replied. Merlin grinned sheepishly and shook his head. “It’s alright, nobody ever does. But no, you just have to disclose it to HR so the company doesn’t have to worry about wrongful termination or harassment or whatever.” 

“Well that’s good news,” Merlin said. Of course, he’d have to ask Arthur to fill out the paperwork too, but that’d be fine. Arthur had called himself Merlin’s boyfriend that morning, so they had to be going somewhere that merited HR paperwork. Which was probably the weirdest thought Merlin had ever had, and that was including all of the magic. 

Gwen opened her mouth to speak when the door to the break room popped open and in stepped a dark haired lad. “Gwen, Ms. Le Fay’s meeting just ended, she needs you in her office. Something about a lawsuit? And if you see Mr. Pendragon’s new PA, he needs them right away,” he said, and then dashed out again. Gwen leapt to her feet and tossed the remnants of her lunch into the bin. 

“That was Mordred, he doesn’t normally sound that frazzled. Let’s go, it’s probably urgent,” Gwen said, grabbing Merlin’s arm and pushing him out of the break room towards Arthur’s office. Merlin nodded; scampering in, through the waiting room, and finding Arthur already at his desk, head in hands. 

“Morgana is trying to kill me, and this is just more evidence towards it,” Arthur said without lifting his head.

Merlin hummed. “You know, three hours ago you thought she was your favorite sister.” 

“She’s my _only_ sister,” Arthur grunted. Merlin crossed the room and without thinking about it started to rub the tension out of Arthur’s shoulders. “Somehow she signed off on this ad campaign, and I guess one of the artists plagiarized the work, and now the original artist is suing and we didn’t even know until we got served.”

“Mmm. Well, it could be worse,” Merlin said, working a knot of stress at the base of Arthur’s neck. 

“Yeah, how?” Arthur replied. 

“You could have a less attractive PA,” he said, leaning down and pressing a kiss to Arthur’s cheek. 

“I was wrong. Morgana’s not trying to kill me, _you_ are,” Arthur sighed, finally dropping his hands and leaning back to let Merlin access the rest of his back. 

Merlin chuckled. “No, just trying to get you relaxed for your meeting later,” Merlin answered. “Also, Vivian Olsen called just after you went into the meeting, she told me to have you call back as soon as possible. She wanted to discuss potential security for her newest client.”

Arthur nodded. “Alright. I’ll need you to call her secretary and set up a meeting with her, and finish your HR paperwork so I can take you to dinner tonight,” Arthur said.

“How do you know I’ll say yes?” Merlin teased. 

“Well, if you don’t fill out the paperwork, I could always fire you if you say no,” Arthur said, smiling. Merlin flicked him on the ear. “Hey! I’m your boss!”

“And my boyfriend,” Merlin replied. “But I’ve actually got real work to do, and so do you, so get working.” And he swatted Arthur’s shoulder and left the office. 

He made the call to Vivian’s secretary, set up a time for a meeting, synced up his phone’s calendar with the calendar on the computer so he wouldn’t have to worry about forgetting any appointments, and filled out all of the paperwork. At the bottom of the pile there were two copies of relationship disclosure forms for him to fill out. Merlin raised an eyebrow at that, but assumed Gwen must have slipped them in at some point in the morning, probably when Merlin went out to pick up Arthur’s coffee. 

His hand filled out his form automatically; birthdate, name, gender, position in the company, blah, blah, blah. Signed and dated and his form was complete. Gwen had helpfully included an information sheet atop his paperwork, giving him all of Arthur’s basic information so he filled out most of Arthur’s sheet as well. He glanced over at the clock. It was already after five, so he felt pretty confident stepping into Arthur’s office. 

Arthur was entrenched in piles of paper. “You’re aware it’s after five correct?” Merlin said, sliding the paperwork into Arthur’s field of vision. He perked his head up. 

“Shit, is it really?” Arthur said, glancing up at Merlin and then looking the sheet over before signing it. “God. Okay, run those down to Gwaine Moore in HR, I’ll wrap this up and meet you in the lobby in ten minutes, alright?” 

Merlin nodded, and grabbed his jacket and briefcase as he left the office. He popped into Morgana’s office and asked Gwen which floor HR was on. “Third floor, and Ms. Le Fay wants to know if you can do lunch with her tomorrow,” Gwen said, grinning. 

“Is there any chance of getting out of it?” Merlin asked, already knowing the answer. Gwen shook her head. Merlin sighed and agreed, wished Gwen a good evening, and left the office. He took the lift down to third floor, and thankfully it was one open floor, filled with three-walled cubicles. “Um, excuse me,” Merlin said, tapping the nearest person on the shoulder. “Do you know where Gwaine Moore is?” The girl smiled and directed him down a few cubicles. “Thanks.”

He rapped on the outer wall of the indicated cubicle. “Gwaine Moore? I’m Merlin Emrys, I just started today and I’m supposed to drop off some paperwork?” The man in the cubicle spun around, his long hair whirling along with him.

“Hi, Merlin!” he greeted. “As much as I hate chasing an attractive man out of my cubicle, I only work with office relationships, so if you just need to turn in your basic paperwork you should _probably_ see Elena,” he said, looking Merlin up and down. 

Merlin laughed. “Of course, but I actually _do_ have some relationship disclosure forms for you,” Merlin said, plucking the top two sheets from the stack and handing them to Gwaine. 

“Damn, first day and you’re already sleeping with the VP? I’d be impressed if I weren’t so disappointed,” Gwaine chuckled, skimming the paperwork and signing both sheets and stamping them. 

Merlin just shook his head and didn’t bother correcting him. It was the automatic assumption, and it was going to keep happening, so he may as well just ignore it. He and Gwaine chatted for another minute, but Merlin cut it short and darted back to the first cubicle he’d visited, which was apparently Elena’s, and handed the rest of the paperwork to her. She smiled thanked him and he finally broke free of HR and made it down to the lobby. 

Arthur arrived just after him, slipping an arm around Merlin’s waist. “Did you drive here?” Merlin shook his head. “Good. You want to go straight to mine for dinner, or stop off at yours first?” 

“Let’s head straight to dinner, I’m starving. Some prat got out of a meeting and I had to cut my lunch hour short,” he teased. Arthur just flushed and led him out to where Arthur had left his car. Merlin leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before he climbed into the car. “Go anything in mind?” he asked once Arthur was in the driver’s seat. 

“I do, actually. Just got a bunch of groceries, so I was thinking I could cook for you maybe?” Arthur suggested, rubbing the back of his neck as he drove. Merlin reached up and grabbed the hand, taking it in his own and rubbing circles over the back of it with his thumb. 

“That sounds amazing,” Merlin agreed. “And I’m not just agreeing because you’re my boss.”

“Somehow, Merlin,” Arthur said, “I doubt you would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did plot even get here?  
> Also, spent _waaaaaaaaay_ too much time thinking up everyone's last names.


	7. Chapter 7

Arthur’s flat was by no means shabby, but it did look like it’d been housing two men since their third year of uni, which was a little nerve-wracking. He’d convinced Morgana to have Leon over to her place that night, so the flat was open for the whole night. And Leon had left earlier in the day, so he’d persuaded his friend to pick up a little bit in exchange for a bottle of scotch he’d been eyeing lately. 

His heart was hammering as he showed Merlin up to his flat, but he shouldn’t have been so worried. Leon had done a fantastic job cleaning up, and Merlin grinned when he saw the place was empty. “Kick Leon out for the evening?” he said, eyebrows raised. 

“Maybe,” Arthur answered. “Besides, cooking for two is way more fun than cooking for three.” He kicked his shoes off neatly at the door and hung his suit jacket and tie up in the closet where he could retrieve them later. Merlin put his own shoes alongside Arthur’s, but draped his jacket over the back of the couch while Arthur led him into the kitchen. “Want some wine?” he offered. Merlin nodded, and Arthur reached for the dim cabinet and pulled out some champagne. “Grab some glasses,” Arthur said, gesturing to the cabinet with glasses in it. 

Merlin stretched up, snagged two glasses and lowered back off his toes to pass them over to Arthur. Arthur popped the cork and poured a bit for each of them. Merlin took a sip as Arthur pulled on an apron. “Are you going to let me do any cooking?” Merlin asked, looking teasingly at Arthur’s apron. 

“Oh, I’m going to put you to work,” Arthur laughed, and tossed a spare one to Merlin. “Get two eggs, the Parmigiano-Reggiano and some bacon from the fridge.” While Merlin got the eggs, cheese and bacon, Arthur pulled out some linguini, olive oil, a pot, a pan and a whisk from their storage spaces. Merlin turned around, eggs and cheese in hand, and set them down on the open counter beside the other supplies before getting the bacon and laying it alongside the rest. 

Arthur stepped to the sink and filled the pot with water. “Add some salt to this and set it to boil?” he said, passing the full pot to Merlin, who sat it down on the range and sprinkled some salt into the water before sticking a lid on it and turning the heat up. Meanwhile, Arthur poured the oil into the bottom of the pan and moved to stand by Merlin while he set the oil to heat on the stove. 

“Alright, I give up, what is it we’re making,” Merlin said, watching as Arthur easily chopped up the bacon into chunks and grated the cheese. Arthur just smiled and separated the eggs. 

“It’s a surprise. Put the pasta into the water and keep an eye on it,” he instructed, grinning to himself when Merlin rolled his eyes but followed his instructions. A moment later Arthur was at his side again, adding the bacon to the oil and sneaking a kiss before he turned his attention back to the food. 

Merlin groaned, making Arthur laugh at how frustrated he sounded. “You are being unnecessarily cryptic, Pendragon,” he accused, moving to strain the pasta. 

“Save about a fourth cup of that water,” was all Arthur would say. Merlin groaned again, and Arthur had to stifle his laughter when Merlin leveled a glare at him. 

“You’re impossible,” Merlin said. 

“I never said I wasn’t,” Arthur acquiesced, draining most of the bacon fat and putting the bacon onto a plate. “Put the pasta in here, and the water,” he instructed, holding the pan out to Merlin, who followed, albeit reluctantly. Arthur stuck it back on the heat and tossed the pasta a bit, cooking it for a minute and then he pulled it away. 

“What about the rest?” Merlin said, gesturing to the eggs and cheese, which still hadn’t been touched. 

“Add a half cup of the cheese to this, and the egg whites, quick,” Arthur said, and managed to keep a straight face even as Merlin almost fell taking the three steps to the counter and back. “Toss it together, I’m going to get the plates. 

Merlin shook his head but agreed, letting Arthur step away and pull out the silverware and pasta bowls for the meal. “Okay, now put the pasta in the bowl like a bird’s nest,” and Merlin once again glared as he obeyed. Arthur didn’t mind, it was worth a little frustration to tease Merlin like this. “Now go, take the wine and sit at the table, I’ll be out in a minute.” 

“You are the most ridiculous–” Merlin began, but Arthur filled his hands with the wine glasses and pushed him towards the dining room. 

“Berate me later, for now, shoo,” Arthur said, and Merlin went. With Merlin gone, Arthur slid the egg yolks into the small depressions in each bowl of pasta. He tossed on the rest of the cheese, the bacon, and a bit of pepper before he grabbed both bowls and bumped the door between kitchen and dining room open with his foot and emerged. “Pasta Carbonara, before you ask. And yes, the eggs are fine, they cook once you break the yolk over the noodles,” Arthur said, answering Merlin’s unspoken question when he slid the bowl before him. 

Arthur sat down on the side of the dining table adjacent to Merlin, and watched as Merlin tentatively broke the yolk and took a bite. Thanks to his patience, he got to see Merlin’s face light up in delight, which was gratifying to say the least. “It’s delicious!” Merlin exclaimed. 

“As if it could be anything else,” Arthur scoffed, taking a bite of his own food to disguise how pleased he was that Merlin liked it. 

“Seriously, Arthur, this is really good. Where did you learn to cook?” Merlin demanded. 

“Honestly, _Mer_ lin, you act like it’s impossible to read a cookbook,” Arthur replied, sipping at the champagne. 

Merlin rolled his eyes. “I know it isn’t, I just also know you were really comfortable cooking, which means somebody showed you how, so. Spill. Did you run off during uni to become a sous chef or something?” 

Arthur blinked. “Merlin, you might actually be mad,” he started, and when Merlin moved to complain, he carried on, “And no. I didn’t run away and become a _sous chef_. My mum taught me.” 

“Well, tell her she did an amazing job,” Merlin replied, clearly pleased with Arthur’s answer, but Arthur ruined it by flinching a bit at the present tense. “What?” Merlin asked, stopping with his fork in midair. “What did I say?” 

He had hoped to avoid this conversation for– well frankly for as long as possible, but that obviously wasn’t going to be an option. “I won’t be able to tell her, she passed away when I was in uni,” Arthur sighed, resigned to the inevitable pity that always came. First, it was the sympathy, then the sad looks, and by the end of the night, Merlin would kiss him on the cheek and tell him he was _so sorry_ and leave. It was the same each time.

Surprisingly, Merlin didn’t say anything. He sat quietly, his face blank, and after a few minutes of silence, finally spoke. “I’m sorry,” he began, and Arthur’s heart sank. “My da died a few years ago, but he’d walked out on us, so it isn’t really the same.” Merlin reached over and linked their hands. 

“No,” Arthur said, surprised at Merlin’s response. “It isn’t, but it it’s not that different either.” 

They were both quiet for a time, eating in silence with their hands locked together. Now and then their eyes would lock, and one of them would squeeze the other’s hand. Arthur finished first, by the expedient of not paying any attention at all to the food he was eating. He sat watching as Merlin sipped at the champagne, and was a little too distracted by the way Merlin had to stop now and then to lick errant drops of champagne away. 

“Movie?” Arthur offered when Merlin finished his dish. Merlin nodded, and let Arthur lead him to the couch. Once there, Merlin released Arthur’s hand and tugged Arthur back against his chest, so Arthur’s head rested on his shoulder. “ _Mer_ lin I can’t reach the remote,” Arthur muttered. Merlin’s arm tightened around him. 

“Then go get it,” Merlin replied, smiling gently. 

Arthur pushed a little closer. “You’re going to have to let me go for that to work,” Arthur said. 

Merlin laughed, letting his arm slip to the side so Arthur could finally get up and grab the remote from the table. Arthur was back a moment later. He crawled over onto Merlin and tucked himself into Merlin’s side. “Pick a movie,” he said, passing the remote to Merlin, who took it, hit a few buttons, and settled on a movie channel that seemed to be halfway through a B-rate horror film. Arthur nestled down in Merlin’s arms and most definitely did _not_ doze off ten minutes later. And if he did, it was only because the food and wine had made him sleepy and Merlin was really quite warm and soft for such a slim bloke.

He only drifted towards awake for a minute, when a blanket somehow drifted over them. Arthur grumbled, and felt Merlin stiffen underneath him, before he drifted back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh lord the fluff  
> Also, if you're interested in the [Pasta Carbonara](http://www.inspiredtaste.net/11316/pasta-carbonara-recipe/) they made, there you go.  
> Frankly it looks delicious and I really want to make it now.


	8. Chapter 8

Merlin waited until he was sure Arthur was asleep, and with a flash of gold eyes, he brought a blanket out from over one of the chairs and draped it over them both. Arthur stirred as the blanket settled over them, and Merlin froze, hoping that Arthur would fall back asleep. A moment later Arthur made some quiet mumbling noises against Merlin’s neck and calmed down, falling back into a deep sleep. Merlin smiled, watching as the rest of the movie played out on the screen. He waited until the next movie was halfway through before he wiggled out from under Arthur. It was getting late, and they both had work in the morning. Arthur was clearly exhausted, and Merlin was pretty tired himself. He briefly considered staying over, but discarded that as a bad idea; he had to be dressed and ready for work the next morning, and spending the night with Arthur, however innocently, wasn’t the best way to get that done. Instead, he called himself a cab, and went to grab a decent blanket and pillow so he could tuck Arthur in. 

Maybe he should’ve used magic to move him, but Merlin’s teleportation spells needed a _lot_ of work, and levitating him would probably wake him up… And it just didn’t feel _right_ to use magic on Arthur, without him knowing about it. Bringing things like blankets and pillows, and maybe using it once or twice for paperwork, that was harmless. But using it on Arthur without permission felt wrong somehow. 

_Keeping_ it from him felt wrong, but Merlin wasn’t stupid. He couldn’t just tell everyone he knew and dated about his magic, it was dangerous. Even Will only knew bits and pieces, and he didn’t really care one way or another, since he saw it as primarily a means to an end, the end usually trouble. Telling people could put not just him, but Gaius and his ma in danger. Gaius had warned him as a kid, telling him to keep it secret because other people could be cruel to those who were different. As if Merlin hadn’t already learned that, being the gangly bastard child with overly large ears in a town with maybe twenty kids his age. Fear of others was bred into him, so keeping his magic secret wasn’t that difficult. 

He gave his head a shake, breaking out of his thoughts. He stepped into Arthur’s room, not looking around too much, and grabbed the duvet off the bed and a pillow as well. Arthur was stirring in the other room, Merlin could hear it, and so he hustled out and tucked the duvet around Arthur’s shoulders, smoothing the blond fringe away from his eyes. He crouched and lifted up Arthur’s head, gently, and slid the pillow underneath it. Arthur’s head settled back, and Arthur let out a content sigh. Merlin leaned over and pressed a kiss to his forehead. 

“Good night, Arthur,” he said, and left the flat with a smile. The cab arrived at the kerb a few minutes later, and Merlin arrived home happy. The flat was quiet, and dark, but Merlin ignored turning on lights in favor of getting into his pajamas and going straight to bed. When he curled up on the bed, he tried to ignore that his plush mattress somehow was less comfortable that night than the couch in Arthur’s flat. And when he fell asleep, it was to the thought of Arthur tucked warm and sleeping in his arms. 

*

The next morning was less pleasant. Merlin woke up late, couldn’t catch a cab, and just barely made it in to work on time. Arthur was already in his office, making a bunch of calls, when Merlin came in with his morning coffee in one hand and clipboard in the other. He gave Merlin a wave, and held up a finger to have him wait. 

“Yes, yes, that sounds fantastic, I will have someone fax over the specs for you. No, thank _you_ ,” he said, and then the phone was hung up. His face changed completely, shifting from distracted and harried to absolutely radiant. “Good morning, Merlin.”

Merlin smiled. “Morning, Arthur. Gwen sent me your itinerary for today and–” Arthur stood up from his desk, making Merlin pause in his sentence. He lifted a hand to Merlin’s cheek and tilted him down just enough so Arthur could kiss him comfortably. 

“Mandatory five minutes of non-work talk before everything, starting now,” Arthur said firmly. Merlin shook his head fondly, finally agreeing. “Good. Thank you, for getting me those blankets and letting me sleep. Although waking up without you was a bit of a disappointment.” 

“Well, leaving wasn’t exactly enjoyable, but so it goes,” Merlin said, kissing Arthur gently. “Dinner was amazing, by the way. We should do that more.” 

Arthur beamed. “Definitely. Definitely we should do that more,” Arthur said, and they stood for a moment, arms around each other, until Merlin stepped back just a bit. Arthur nodded before Merlin could say anything, and Merlin offered him his coffee. “Thank you,” Arthur said, taking a drink. “You’re amazing.”

“Believe me, I know,” Merlin replied, kissing Arthur quickly and stepping back before he could retaliate. “You’ve got a meeting with Leon in half an hour, oh and Morgana is kidnapping me for lunch, so there’s that, and Gwen wanted me to schedule a time for you and Morgana to talk about an upcoming marketing campaign, and lawyers are confident that the lawsuit can be settled without going to court.”

“Wait – what? Morgana is doing what?” Arthur said, eyes wide.

“Kidnapping me for lunch,” Merlin winced. “Gwen told me yesterday, but I honestly didn’t think of it until now.” Arthur looked mildly horrified. 

“Oh, good lord, she’s going to eat you _alive_ ,” Arthur insisted. “You’ve got to get out of it, somehow, or she’ll _devour_ you.” 

Merlin laughed. “She doesn’t seem so bad, Gwen speaks well of her, and I’m sure it’ll be just fine,” he reassured, putting a hand on Arthur’s arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Arthur Pendragon, don’t you worry okay?” 

“It’s been nice knowing you, Emrys, because my sister is probably going to kill you,” Arthur said. 

“Meeting, half hour, Pendragon,” Merlin warned, backing out of the office with a smile. Arthur waved him off, laughing. “I mean it!” Merlin tossed over his shoulder as he sat down in his chair. He could hear Arthur laughing. 

A half hour later, Leon arrived and introduced himself to Merlin as, “Arthur’s accomplice and Morgana’s scapegoat”. Merlin laughed, and shook his hand. 

“Arthur, Leon’s here,” Merlin called. 

“I’m not ready yet!” Arthur shouted back.

“I gave you a warnings every five minutes, why are you surprised?” Merlin replied. “Leon’s here, now let him come in and talk to you, putting off a little bit of paperwork for a meeting isn’t going to kill you!” 

Leon laughed. “Gwen was right, you’re going to be great around here,” Leon said, clapping Merlin on the shoulder as he stepped into Arthur’s office. 

A moment later, Arthur shouted, “ _Mer_ lin, get in here, I need you to take notes!” Merlin shook his head and smiled to himself. 

“Be right there!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know literally nothing about office work can you tell


	9. Chapter 9

   
In retrospect, making Merlin come in to take notes was probably not Arthur’s greatest idea. Leon was trying desperately to explain to Arthur the reforms he was instituting to the hiring department, but Arthur kept getting distracted by Merlin. 

Merlin, who kept nibbling on his pen between notes. Merlin, who now and then would pause and blow his fringe out of his eyes to keep writing uninterrupted. Merlin, who would glance up and flash that dazzling smile at Arthur, and each time it happened Arthur completely lost the tiny amount of focus he had. Leon finally threw his hands up. 

“You’re impossible, Arthur. Sign,” he said, sliding paperwork over to Arthur. Arthur scribbled his signature at the bottom, knowing Leon’s ideas always worked out well, regardless of Arthur’s input. Leon glanced between Merlin and Arthur, shook his head a bit and smiled as he left. 

Merlin stood up, notebook in hand, and leaned over the desk to kiss Arthur on the cheek. “You have actual work to do, Arthur, and you can’t get it done if you keep ogling me,” he said, patting Arthur on the cheek. 

He walked out of the room and was seated at his desk by the time Arthur managed to respond. “I was _not_ ogling!” he shouted after the man, and he could hear Merlin chuckling as he turned towards his work. 

Arthur was swamped frankly, but none of it was making an impact on him. He was too distracted by the impending doom that was Merlin’s upcoming lunch. Morgana was going to chew his boyfriend up and spit him out. She’d done it before, and she was about to do it again, he was certain. Normally she waited a little longer to do this, waited until Arthur had actually oh, introduced them, but not this time. Apparently she’d taken the HR paperwork to mean fair game. 

He tapped his pen against his desk, over and over; enjoying the sound a little more than was probably normal. It helped though, the rhythm gave him something to focus on, and in turn let him actually get some work done instead of stressing over Merlin’s lunch with the devil herself. 

Time passed quickly once Arthur got into his work, and it seemed like only minutes later Merlin was rapping at his door. “Morgana’s outside, I’m going to take my lunch now,” he said, stepping in a kissing Arthur’s forehead lightly. “I fully expect you to do the same, and you’re under strict orders not to worry about what Morgana’s doing, clear?”

“Clear,” Arthur groaned, putting his pen down and stretching a bit. He waited until Merlin was gone, then reached under his desk and pulled out the brown sack he’d tossed sandwiches into that morning. He nibbled his way through two PB&Js while trying to work, but couldn’t focus at all on what he was reading. 

As he sat there working, Merlin was off, getting interrogated by Morgana, dealing with God knew what, and it was terrifying. 

He and Morgana had always had a difficult relationship, but after Uther’s death they’d become a lot closer. Unfortunately, this meant Morgana felt entitled to pull the overprotective sister routine out any time Arthur got involved with someone. Arthur remembered a particular time Morgana had brought a girl to tears in the five minutes Arthur had been out of the room. When he came back, she left, sobbing, and refused to speak to him again. He’d been angry for awhile, but honestly, if someone couldn’t handle his family, then he wasn’t interested in. Morgana might be a bit much, but she’s family. 

Hopefully she didn’t drive Merlin away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello yes this fic is still alive yes it is still updating I am so sorry I haven't posted anything in a while and that this chapter is so short, but I'm going to try to make the next chapter a lot bigger to make up for it. Graduation is upon me so school has been very hectic lately, but updating should increase soon! Thank you guys for reading and encouraging :-)


	10. Chapter 10

Merlin couldn’t decide if Morgana was amazing or terrifying. The moment he’d entered her office, she’d enveloped him in a large hug, but something in her eyes made it seem more predatory than affectionate. She then decided they’d go out for lunch, and instructed Gwen to hold all of her calls before sweeping out of the room with Merlin, who followed with the vague impression of a whirlwind in his mind. 

She half-sprinted two blocks away to a posh restaurant that clearly catered to overpriced business lunches, and ignored the maître d’ in favor of seating herself. “Just sit, Merlin, I’m here often enough that they don’t bother asking questions,” Morgana said primly, not even out of breath from their jog there. 

He debated for a moment, then sat opposite her and regarded the menu. No prices visible, which was _never_ a good sign. He’d only been studying it for a minute when Morgana flipped both menus down, flagged down a waiter, and ordered for them both. 

“I hope you don’t mind,” she said, flashing a toothy grin that made it clear she didn’t care. 

Merlin just smiled. “Not at all, I’m not too picky,” he replied. He wasn’t sure if she was always this overbearing, or if it was a technique to freak him out, but either way, he was determined to make it work, if only for Arthur’s sake. 

Morgana smiled again, this time looking a bit less terrifying. “Good. Now, what are your intentions toward my brother?” she asked bluntly. 

“As his PA or as his boyfriend?” Merlin answered diplomatically. It was important she knew he was keeping those separate, both as one of his employers and as his boyfriend’s sister. 

She seemed delighted at his response. “Let’s focus on boyfriend, I’ll assume your work is being taken care of,” Morgana said, sipping at the water that had somehow appeared at their table. 

Merlin pursed his lips in thought. “Honestly, I haven’t thought much beyond what we’re doing right now. I really like spending time with him, and he’s interesting, so I’d like to see where it goes,” Merlin finally said. He didn’t want to admit fully just how attached he already was to Arthur, they hadn’t been together long enough to warrant it, and it wasn’t Morgana’s business at any rate, but the look she gave him said he was completely transparent. 

Morgana gave him an appraising look as the food arrived –soup apparently, though who knew what kind– and began to eat. Merlin took his cue, but he was too nervous to enjoy or even taste what he was eating. She didn’t speak for a while, so the only sounds at their table were the clinks of spoons on bowls and the occasional refill of water. 

“When we were little, Arthur found a bird on the side of the road,” Morgana spoke suddenly. “It must’ve hit a windshield or something, because it was all broken and bleeding. He insisted we take it home to Mum. We tried to tell him the bird wasn’t going to live, but he just wouldn’t listen. He stayed up all night with it so it wouldn’t be alone, dripped water into it’s mouth so it wouldn’t be thirsty, even brought out his favorite shirt so it would have something soft to sleep on. He kept it up for three days before the bird finally died. No matter what anyone told him, he was convinced it was his fault, that he’d failed the bird somehow. He was inconsolable for weeks. Even now, he feels guilty over it.”

Merlin frowned. “Why are you telling me this?” he asked. It didn’t seem relevant, just reinforced what Merlin already knew about Arthur; he was kind, compassionate, and dedicated to the tasks he sets himself. 

“Because Arthur has a habit of trying to fix things that are broken and cutting himself on the edges trying to put it together. Sometimes, it works out, but usually? Things that are broken can’t be fixed, and when that happens, he’s shattered. Arthur needs to be needed, and it gets him into trouble. I need to be certain you aren’t going to hurt him, or leave him once you’ve gotten what you want,” Morgana explained, looking up from her soup to stare intensely at Merlin like she could somehow see his soul if she looked hard enough. 

“I’m not going to lie to you, Morgana,” Merlin said, his mind flaring and blood beginning to fizz at the idea that he’d hurt Arthur. “I don’t know where this is going, I can’t promise that things will work out. But I want them to, and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure of it. I can’t say that I’m not broken, because everyone is a little bit, but I’m not with Arthur because he fixes me. I’m with him because I see something in him that’s worthwhile, and I’m drawn to it. We… fit, somehow. He makes me want to be better, because I know he deserves someone incredible.”

Morgana looked a little surprised, and frankly Merlin was a bit shocked himself; he hadn’t meant to go on like that, it had just sort of happened. The woman watched him for a second, and then nodded. “That’ll do,” she said, standing up. They walked back to the office together in silence, and though they walked quickly, Merlin kept up easily. She paused outside her office and put her hand on Merlin’s shoulder. There was a moment’s hesitance before Morgana leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Treat him well, Merlin,” was all she said before gliding into her office and greeting Gwen in a chipper voice. 

Merlin nodded, even though Morgana’s door was swinging shut, and stepped over to Arthur’s office. Arthur was sitting at his desk, door open into the waiting area, with his hands buried in his hair. He looked up the moment Merlin’s footsteps sounded in the room. 

“How did it go? Do you hate me? Tell me she didn’t say anything awful,” Arthur demanded, standing up. Merlin didn’t say anything, just stepped closer and resisted the urge to slide his arms around Arthur’s neck. “Well, you aren’t crying and you haven’t punched me, so it can’t have been as awful as I thought,” Arthur said, giving a weak smile. Merlin smiled in response.

Arthur still looked worried, and his hair was an absolute wreck from where he’d been messing with it, and though it was work hours and Arthur almost certainly had a mountain of work and Merlin _definitely_ did, Merlin was still feeling oddly heated from the conversation with Morgana, in a way that demanded some sort of contact with Arthur, but Merlin wasn’t entirely certain how to go about initiating it with this strange feeling in his bones.

Thankfully, Arthur was clever, and moments later wrapped his arms around Merlin’s waist and tugged him against his chest. Merlin sank into the contact; he could feel his magic simmering in his blood but at Arthur’s touch it settled calmly to the back of his mind as his pulse slowed and his mind eased. 

“What did she say that riled you up?” Arthur asked, his hand running up and down Merlin’s spine soothingly. 

Merlin huffed a laugh at his own ridiculousness. “Nothing, really, she just wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to hurt you,” Merlin said, and even saying the words made a bit of anger nip at his heart. Arthur’s arms tightened around him, and that helped a little. “I’m not, you know. I won’t.” He sounded fiercer than he really meant to, but it didn’t seem to put Arthur off. The blond just leaned back far enough to kiss Merlin on the forehead. 

“I know you won’t,” Arthur agreed, and leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to Merlin’s frown. Merlin wasn’t having that, though, and threaded his fingers through Arthur’s hair to keep him there, deepening the kiss to something harder, more desperate, something that helped ease the tension in his body and replace it with something better, sweeter. When they finally broke apart, they were both gasping for air. “I know you won’t,” Arthur repeated, conviction ringing in every word. 

They stood there for a time, foreheads pressed together, until the office phone started ring and Merlin had to pull away to answer it, leaving a lingering kiss on Arthur’s lips before picking up Arthur’s extension and asking them to hold. “Dinner tonight, my place?” Merlin asked.

“Definitely,” Arthur agreed. Merlin stepped out of his embrace and made towards his desk. 

“Oh, Arthur?” Merlin said, hand on the door to close it behind him. “Bring an overnight bag.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if this feels kinda bittersweet, that's my mindset right now  
> smut next chapter or the one after it!


	11. Chapter 11

Arthur had never worked so efficiently in his life. He knew he needed to be done by five, and the last thing he wanted was to be distracted all evening by thoughts of whatever work he’d left undone. So he worked, focused, and for once didn’t spend any time distractedly scrolling through news sites. God, was Morgana like this _all the time?_ It’d make sense, she always got more work done than he did, and he often didn’t leave his office until much later than her. 

By five o’clock Arthur had ink smeared across the heel of his hand and the imprint of his headset in his cheek, but his work for the day was done and set for the next morning. Merlin came through his door with a knock. “Time to go.” Arthur nodded, and Merlin laughed as he turned to grab his jacket. 

“What?” Arthur asked, spinning around to see what Merlin found amusing. Merlin stepped forward and ran a thumb over Arthur’s cheek. 

“You wear a headset when you work?” Merlin chuckled, tracing the imprint of the mic. 

Arthur nodded. “It means I can take notes on my computer while I’m talking, I type faster than I handwrite,” Arthur explained, gesturing towards his computer. He filled out paperwork by hand, but it was a pain when he knew his fingers were much faster over a keyboard than with a pen. 

“I see,” Merlin said, letting his hand drop from Arthur’s face to his shoulder. “So, do you want to go back to yours and I go back to mine, and I pick you up from there at about seven thirty?” Merlin offered. 

The blond wasn’t thrilled with the idea of being apart from Merlin, but he knew he needed a shower, and to change, before they had dinner, and making Merlin suffer through his frankly arduous pre-date rituals wasn’t fair. “Alright,” Arthur agreed, leaning over and kissing Merlin quickly. “Now get going, I fully expect you at my door at seven thirty,” Arthur ordered, pushing Merlin towards the door. 

“I’m going, but no working after I’ve left! Gwen will tell me if you do,” Merlin warned, snagging his coat as he left the office. Arthur laughed, pulling his coat on and stepping over to Morgana’s office to talk to her. He waved hello to Gwen and stuck his head into

“Morgs, hey, Leon is gonna have the apartment tonight, I’m going out for the night,” Arthur said. 

Morgana swiveled around in her chair to face him. “Be careful, Arthur. I like him, but be careful. None of us want another Sophia,” she said quietly. Arthur winced, but managed to hold back all memories of the woman. 

“He’s different, Morgana, and you know it,” Arthur said.

“I hope so,” was all Morgana said before turning her chair back around, effectively ending the conversation. 

Arthur ran his hand through his hair and sighed, but left the office. If Morgana didn’t want to talk, she wouldn’t talk, and nothing he said or did would shift her opinion. He hurried home and leapt into the shower, melting underneath the warm water. He might’ve stayed longer, but he knew getting dressed would be worth it. 

It took less time than he expected to get dressed, simply because he only had a few things clean at the moment. He settled down onto his couch to wait for Merlin, and turned on the telly to keep himself occupied. 

About six thirty a knock sounded at the door. “Merlin, you’re earl–” It wasn’t Merlin. 

“Arthur, I need your help.”

Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby chapter because mother of all plot coming in the next chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief warning for very brief homophobic language at the very end, utilized by someone against Merlin.

Merlin knocked at Arthur’s door as he twisted the knob, letting himself in without thinking until later that it might be rude. “Sorry, Arthur I didn’t– why are you holding a baby.” Merlin’s voice sounded dead in his own ears, and beyond that he could hear his pulse pounding and his magic starting to prickle alongside his anger. 

Arthur looked up guiltily from the couch, where a small blond infant was curled in his arms. “Merlin, I can explain,” Arthur started. Merlin held up his hand. 

“No. Just– just no. Not right now. I’m going to go home, drink far more wine than I should, and tomorrow maybe you can call me,” Merlin said firmly.

“Merlin if you’d just let me explain–” the baby started to fuss and they both froze. Arthur spoke again, his voice lower this time, though no less fierce. “She isn’t _mine_ ,” Arthur hissed. 

That brought Merlin up short, halting all of his furious thoughts in their tracks. “Then please, enlighten me,” he said, still a little skeptical. “Whose _is_ she? If you had already promised to babysit, you could’ve just told me–”

“Merlin would you stop talking for one second?” Arthur asked, slumping back against the couch. Merlin paused, taking Arthur in for the first time since he’d stepped in, when his brain had processed blond infant first and stayed firmly there. He seemed exhausted, stressed, and his hair was an absolute mess. “C’mon, sit down, this might take a minute to explain.”

The brunet sat down tentatively on the other side of the baby, not certain he wanted to sit right beside Arthur just yet. “What’s her name?” Merlin finally asked when Arthur didn’t speak. 

“Phoebe,” Arthur said, sounding hollow. The baby fussed even more, making little whimpering sounds. Merlin, running on the instinct born of a large extended family, picked her up easily and began rocking her gently, making absent-minded shushing sounds to calm her down. She reacted instantly, settling into Merlin’s arms easily and falling quiet. “She’s not my daughter,” Arthur repeated. 

“I know, you said,” Merlin answered, giving Phoebe a little jiggle. 

“But I wanted her to be,” Arthur admitted. Merlin very deliberately didn’t look at him, kept up the pretense of caring for Phoebe so Arthur could speak freely. “I– I thought she was. If there was any justice in this world, she would’ve been.”

Bit by bit the story came out, Arthur speaking in bursts and falling silent in turn. How Arthur’s last girlfriend, Sophia, had gotten pregnant while they were together. How excited Arthur had been when she’d told him. He’d been shocked, he said, but once it sank in, he was thrilled. He’d gone out and bought a ring, intent on marrying the mother of his child. But during the third trimester, Sophia had dropped a bomb. The child wasn’t his; she had only wanted a secure source of support during the pregnancy because she didn’t remember the biological father, the conception dating from a week that Arthur had spent overseas on business. And how, even now, when Sophia turned up at his door with a plea for help, Arthur hadn’t even thought twice, just taken the baby from her and let her go to bail her new boyfriend out of jail. 

Merlin kept quiet, letting the whole story play out before passing any judgment. 

“She’ll be back soon, Merlin. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner but…” Arthur trailed off. 

“We haven’t known each other that long, Arthur,” Merlin reminded him gently. “It wouldn’t have made sense to tell me.” Phoebe made another noise, and Merlin shifted her around a bit. She cooed and nuzzled closer, her breath tickling light over Merlin’s shoulder. 

Arthur sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. It’d have been insane, but… I was already sort of thinking of telling you. I thought maybe Morgana would mention it over lunch. I guess she didn’t.”

“No,” Merlin said, thinking over his conversation with Morgana at lunch. “But it does help some things make sense.” After all, they hadn’t been together long enough to merit the shovel talk from family, under normal circumstances. But Phoebe couldn’t be more than six months old, so the wound was still raw enough for Morgana to threaten/interrogate him. 

“God, was she really awful?” Arthur asked, putting his face in his hands.

Merlin shook his head. “Not really, especially not now. It makes sense that she’d want to protect you after that,” he said, rubbing Phoebe’s back. 

“So, terrible then,” Arthur supplied. 

“She’s kind of terrifying,” Merlin admitted, with an almost desperate chuckle. Arthur joined in, and soon they were both giggling quietly on the couch, Phoebe resting on Merlin’s shoulder. 

Arthur’s phone started to buzz, and the blond frowned when he read the text message. “She’s here,” he said grimly, and Merlin knew they weren’t talking about Morgana anymore. “Merlin, I– I don’t know what to do here.”

“Do you want me to go? Or hide somewhere?” Merlin offered. He shifted to pass Phoebe over to Arthur, but the blond refused.

“No, no, I don’t want that. I just… I don’t know how to handle this,” Arthur said. “I can’t keep doing this, keeping myself on her hook. No matter how much I might’ve wanted it once, Phoebe isn’t mine. I have to walk away, I’ve got to tell her that.”

“Then I’ll stay. But I won’t say anything if you don’t want me to,” Merlin assured. “Is there a baby carrier?” Arthur shook his head.

“She just carried her here,” Arthur said. 

Merlin nodded. “Okay, then, do you want to hold her?” he asked, offering the baby to him. Arthur took the child carefully, supporting her neck and back, and the sight was a punch to the stomach. His face was so open, heartbroken and resigned, and it was enough to twist Merlin’s gut and make him hate the mother before he’d even met her. A knock sounded at the door, and Arthur looked up, a hard look sliding over his face as he rose to answer the door. 

Arthur passed the baby through the door, past where Merlin could see but to where he assumed Sophia stood, then gestured for her to enter the flat. When she stepped inside, Merlin had a moment of shock. She certainly didn’t seem cruel, not at first. She was youthful, with blonde hair that, now that Merlin looked, matched Phoebe’s much better than Arthur’s did. Her face was round and open looking, but the more Merlin studied her face, the more he saw that seemed… off. When she caught sight of Merlin, her eyes flashed angrily. 

“Sophia, you can’t do this anymore,” Arthur said bluntly once they were both seated, Arthur beside Merlin, close enough that their thighs were touching, and Sophia in the seat opposite them.

“Arthur, I can’t take care of her by myself!” Sophia argued. 

Arthur just shook his head. “You and I both know you aren’t alone. You have your father, your boyfriend, and a host of sisters who will bend over backwards to help you.”

Sophia stood up angrily, and Merlin had to quell the sudden surge in his magic in response to the threat to Arthur, minor though it was. “You’re just as bad as your father, Arthur Pendragon!” she accused. 

Merlin didn’t think anything of it, but Arthur’s face went pale. He stood and left the flat without a word, shaking off the hand Merlin tried to place on his arm, leaving Merlin alone in the living room with Sophia and the baby. 

“And who the hell are _you_?” Sophia demanded, looking down her nose at Merlin. 

He strode across the room angrily, glaring at her and trying his hardest to keep his magic under control. Some of his control must have slipped because he could feel his eyes shift and shimmer with repressed power, and saw her face contort into shock when she saw it. “I’m the person who will ruin your life if you hurt Arthur again. Don’t come back here, are we clear?” he said lowly. 

“A couple of fags, I should’ve guessed,” Sophia spat as she stood up. It was only the presence of the baby that kept Merlin’s anger from exploding out at her in that moment. 

“ _Out_ ,” Merlin ordered, pointing to the door and letting his eyes wash with gold. Sophia gasped and sprinted from the flat. Merlin’s magic was itching to go after her, to make her sorry, but the warlock forced it back. Instead, he grabbed his coat and Arthur's bag and left the flat in search of Arthur, letting small tendrils of his magic flow out to try and find him. As always, it worked better than the verbal spells from the grimoire, and he had a mental fix on Arthur in seconds. 

He began to follow the feeling, and tried not to think about how shattered Arthur had looked when Sophia brought up his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a long time, Phoebe was going to be Arthur's daughter, that he wasn't often allowed to see because Sophia wouldn't allow it, but somehow this just seemed to work better. No matter how many ways I wrote it, Arthur with a child just didn't work out.


	13. Chapter 13

_You’re not like him, you’re not, you’re not, you’re not…_ The words kept running through his head, the litany of a desperate man. When he really thought about it, how was he any different from Uther? He spent most of his life in the office or doing something work-related. When he was at home he was worried about work or thinking about work, or asleep, where he sometimes even _dreamed_ about work. 

He hunched his shoulders, feeling cold and hollow. It was getting cold out, the sky threatening a sleety rain overhead, but Arthur didn’t want to go inside. The sharp bite of the cold felt good, it reminded him that he was present, that he existed. He kept walking, feet going numb along with his fingertips. 

A pair of feet fell in step alongside him. He didn’t bother looking up until a pale hand reached down and grabbed his own. Merlin shot him a small smile, all comfort and no pity, and squeezed his hand. They walked in silence, Merlin’s hand anchoring him more than the cold had. 

“You could tell me, you know,” Merlin said. “If you wanted to, that is. It just seems like something you should talk about. You know, _before_ I walk in on you holding an infant and assume you’re a baby daddy. Again.” 

Arthur snorted. “No way, Emrys, I have a strict one heart-to-heart monologue per day. You’ll just have to wait,” he said, and already the banter was making him feel better, more real. 

“What if I trade you? One heartrending confession for another,” Merlin offered. Arthur shook his head indulgently. It’d actually be worth revealing a bit more of himself if it meant he could catch a glimpse of what went on in Merlin’s head. Which was new, for him. He couldn’t recall feeling that way about someone before; even with Sophia he’d tried to keep himself guarded, hide his innermost parts, and he wasn’t as fascinated with her mind in the way he was with Merlin. 

With Merlin, Arthur wanted to know everything. 

“I could be persuaded,” Arthur hedged, “but can we continue this back at your flat?” He saw his bag, already packed, being held in Merlin’s free hand.

Merlin seemed uncertain. “You sure?” he asked. Arthur smiled and squeezed his fingers. 

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Arthur replied. “Let’s pick something up on the way too, that way we don’t have to wait.” Merlin grinned and agreed. They took the next turn, and grabbed some Chinese takeaway, from the restaurant half a block from Merlin’s flat. 

It was still hot when they arrived at Merlin’s flat, so while Merlin went to set it out on plates, Arthur took the opportunity to look around the flat. He hadn’t been inside it since that first night. It seemed weirdly neat for Merlin; Arthur would’ve guessed that Merlin was scattered in his personal space. He’d at least expected books discarded everywhere, but no, they were all in the bookcases or stacked precariously alongside tables. For their volume, they were neat and perhaps even alphabetized. 

Arthur leaned over and plucked one of the books up and flipped to a random page. At first he thought he had it upside down, but no, the letters were right, they just didn’t make sense put together like they were. Not English, or Spanish, or French, or even German. He’d have recognized them right off, so it had to be something he didn’t see often. 

“It’s archaic Celtic,” Merlin said. “I’ve been studying it, and Old English, my whole life.” Arthur jolted, but Merlin smiled and set the food down on the coffee table before curling up next to Arthur. 

“What _is_ it?” Arthur asked, flipping through. 

“ _The Voyage of Bran_ , I’ve got _Beowulf_ over there,” Merlin said, pointing towards a tower. 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. A man fluent in not just Old English but archaic Celtic was working as a _personal assistant_? “Why’d you learn it?” he finally asked, tucking into the fried rice to disguise his curiosity. 

Merlin shrugged, running his fingers over the text. Arthur was fascinated by how intense he looked as he scanned the words. “ _Fil inis i n-eterchéin/immataitnet gabra réin,/rith find fris’ tóibgel tondat,_ ” Merlin muttered, the words strange and beautiful on his tongue. Arthur had to suck in a breath at the beauty. “’ There is a distant isle/Around which sea-horses glisten:/A fair course against the white-swelling surge,” he translated a moment later. 

“It’s– it’s beautiful, both ways. But… I see why you prefer the Celtic,” Arthur said. 

“Well, it’s more than just the beauty, to be honest,” Merlin admitted, taking a large bite of the food and reminding Arthur of its presence on the table. They both began to eat, but Merlin spoke a little between bites. “My da used to speak Irish around the house along with the Welsh. Once he left, I’d already learned Welsh, but I thought if I managed to learn Irish, it’d bring him back home. And once I showed my uncle I was interested in languages, he started showing me older and older languages. See, so long as someone can speak it, can read it, those people who came up with it, who spoke it, they never really die. If I can keep it up, then everyone before me who spoke or wrote this way gets to live forever,” he explained, gesturing wildly with his fork between bites. 

Arthur just stared in surprise at the man, until he flushed through his ears. “Sorry, that was probably a bit much, wasn’t it?” Merlin mumbled, cramming a large bite of food into his mouth like he was trying to stop the words. Arthur shook his head.

“Not even a little. It’s just… beautiful. That you do that, and your reasons behind it too. It’s beautiful,” Arthur said, unable to think of a word to better describe it. Merlin blushed even harder, murmuring platitudes as he finished his food. “I mean it, Merlin. You’re something else.”

Merlin chuckled. “Yes, well, you owe me a heartrending confession, Pendragon, and don’t think I’ll forget,” he threatened. 

Arthur grinned. “Is that a challenge?” he asked playfully, thinking of the various things he’d tucked under his clothes in the overnight back, not from expectation but more from hope. 

“It might be,” Merlin replied with a matching grin.

Good. Arthur loved a challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arthur is terribly good at distracting himself when he doesn't want to think about something, isn't he? Don't worry, all the issues brought up will be confronted, either when Arthur is ready or when Merlin forces it.
> 
> Also, if you're nerdy like me and spend hours researching ancient Celtic texts, check out [The Voyage of Bran](http://sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/vob/vob02.htm), a side by side translation between Celtic and English over on my favorite ancient text website. (Lord that sentence was nerdy. Let's get back to the fanfic.)


End file.
